Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has denied holding talks with Chelsea about a January transfer window return to San Siro for Sheva.

The Ukraine striker has been struggling to make an impact with the Blues this season following his £30m transfer in the summer. He has scored just three league goals and is yet to find the net in the Champions League.

“At this time there have not been any negotiations with Chelsea, regarding Andriy Shevchenko’s return to our club,” said Galliani, who, even if he did want him, would have to sell another non-EU player to make room for the 30-year-old in Milan’s squad under Italian rules.

Shevchenko, meanwhile, took time after last night’s 1-0 Premiership win at Bolton to reiterate his commitment to the English champions. “I give 100% all the time. I am committed and hungry for success with Chelsea,” he said. “I have total respect for the club and fans as well as for football in England and the culture of the country. There are always good and bad moments in sport, that’s normal. If that means there is criticism then I respect that.”

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insists there is a clear improvement in Shevchenko’s game. “The most difficult position to play is striker. They live on statistics, how many goals, how many assists,” he said. “Thierry Henry, I am told, scored one goal in 12 matches when he moved to Arsenal from Juventus. It is not easy to adapt. Italian football is different to English football even though we play much the same system as AC Milan.

“Shevchenko is making a clear improvement. He is very alive on the field as he showed against Bolton. He is making penetrating moves and runs. He is also becoming more adept at pressing opponents when the team loses the ball. To be honest I do not care about goals, I judge players on other items. He knows the way I think about football. I will support him the maximum I can. I cannot wait for the future when we will see the best of Shevchenko.”

From Guardian Unlimited